


Lightning Flashes

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: Barry Allen Week 2019 [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Barry's just not having a super great time right now, F/M, Manipulation, Past Barry Allen/Hunter Zoloman, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21574258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: These weren't the powers Wally and Uncle Jay had, where they'd merge and become a being of lightning. These were Professor Zoom's powers, Zoom's powers, Inertia's powers, Barry couldn't do this.Eobard showing up again wasn't helpful either.[In which Caitlin is and always has been the hero of Central City and Barry's the doctor of S.T.A.R. Labs]
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris West
Series: Barry Allen Week 2019 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552891
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Lightning Flashes

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Barry Week Day 3: Role Reversal

Barry’s hand was shaking again. Lightning cackled around it and he shoved it under his armpit. He had to get home first. He had to.

His mother hadn’t been able to help. She’d tried, she was going to send him some data, but she hadn’t been able to help. She’d just let slip his Uncle Jay probably knew something, but Barry hadn’t spoken to Uncle Jay since he and Wally had flown off in that time machine again. It wasn’t as if they’d ever been super close, and even after all this time it was hard to see his dad’s face and know it was never going to be him. And now it was even harder, because he saw Iris too.

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t have these powers. Johnny seemed nice, but these were the powers Professor Zoom had had, and he’d taken Caitlin’s father from her, and framed her mother. He’d hurt so many people. These were the powers Zoom had had, and he’d taken Caitlin’s mother right in front of her. He’d tried to destroy their city. And he’d wanted Barry to have these. He’d said Barry was just like him.

And Barry’s Earth-2 self had had these. Inertia had been a criminal. He’d worked for Zoloman. Sure, he’d helped Cisco find Caitlin in the end, but only because Zoloman had killed his Iris. He’d only helped Barry almost escape from Hunter because it benefited him. And Hunter had killed him.

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t be like Inertia, he couldn’t.

He opened his door, hands still shaking, but at least the lightning had stopped.

There was someone sat in his chair. Barry froze.

“Don’t be afraid,” the unmistakable voice of Eobard Thawne said. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“You’re always here to hurt people,” Barry said. Thawne had dropped his Harrison Wells disguise, but his eyes had the same piercing look as they’d always had, like Thawne knew everything there was to know about Barry.

“But not you,” Thawne said. “Never you.”

“Really? Because you told Cisco you loved him like a son than shoved your hand through his chest.”

“Which I changed, if you remember right. But I can’t hurt you, Grandfather.”

Barry shot back against the door. He’d run, he could feel the lightning, and Thawne had _seen_ -

“I already know, Grandfather. There’s no need to look so worried.”

“Stop calling me that. I’m not.”

“No, you’re my great-great-grandfather, but Grandfather seems easier. I did tell you my family were in that room.”

“But you’re a Thawne, you meant Eddie.”

“He’s an ancestral uncle,” Eobard said. “It was safer for my grandfather to take his mother’s name than his father’s. West-Allens don’t tend to make it to thirty.”

“You’re lying,” Barry said. “You’re lying. I’m nothing like you.”

“If anything, I’m like you. You and Grandmother both have a connection to the Speed Force, and you passed that down to your descendants. The two of you were incredible. But Frost decided you were a villain. You didn’t even get to find out Grandmother was pregnant before she killed you. She turned them all against us. Your twins barely knew their children either.”

“Caitlin’s my friend. You killed her father.”

“I was trying to save you, Grandfather.” He stood up and stepped closer. Barry had nowhere to go. “I discovered Frost’s name, and I only wanted to stop her existence, to save you. Our family would be whole if you’d lived. We were never the villains, they branded us that because we’re metahumans. You know how this city treats metahumans.”

“They like Caitlin.”

“Frost and Vibe get to be the exceptions because they fight other metahumans. You could have been a great hero if they’d just given you a chance. But they refused.”

“Time travel is dangerous.”

“Time travel comes easily to a speedster. We’ve only ever used it to try and fix the mistakes of the past.” Eobard focused on Barry’s face. “Oh, she did tell you. So many years trying to destroy our family for minor ripples to better history, do you know how many tidal waves she created?”

“No,” Barry whispered. “But she didn’t know Cisco was going to support meetings for Dante still. She said I changed the least, but…”

“But you gained your speed. You see, Grandfather, she’ll use it to help herself, but she’ll only take from us. She took Iris from you.”

“Don’t,” Barry said. “Iris made her own choices. She was a hero.”

“She’s still alive.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not, Grandfather. Do you think I’d still be here if Grandmother was truly gone? We can get her back.”

“You’re the bad guy,” Barry said. “Caitlin and Cisco are my friends-”

“Is that why you went to your mother instead of them? You know she knows what really happened to your father. Uncle Jason too. They’ve been keeping secrets. They don’t trust you.”

“And I’m supposed to trust you?”

“You have powers, Grandfather.” He took Barry’s hands and brushed his thumb across the scar Zoloman had left, ignoring Barry’s flinch. “You don’t want to be hurt again, do you? And you want Grandmother back.”

“More than anything,” Barry whispered.

“I can help you.”

“Caitlin and Cisco are my friends,” Barry said. “I can’t betray them. I can’t.”

“I understand.” Eobard stepped back. “I’ll be waiting, if you change your mind.” He smiled. Barry knew that smile too. That was his kind smile. His fatherly smile. He’d only seen it on Harrison Wells’ face, and it was supposed to just be a lie. “You need to eat more, Grandfather. A speedster has an accelerated metabolism, you need to increase your calorie intake accordingly. You’re already looking peaky. There’s pizza in the kitchen for tonight. Good night, Grandfather.”

He disappeared.

* * *

Barry was shaking. He’d been able to see that thing. Even Cisco hadn’t been able to see it. Caitlin had almost died, and no one had been able to see it but Barry.

The Philosopher’s Stone gave people powers. Maybe it could take them away too. And Julian Albert, that C.S.I. Caitlin had been complaining about for the past year but now she didn’t seem to know, he could help.

“Don’t, Grandfather,” Eobard said.

“Please stop calling me that,” Barry said.

“Would you prefer Grandpa? I believe that’s what my grandfather, his twin, and their cousin called you.”

“Just… Barry is fine. You used to call me Doctor Allen.”

“You have no idea how hard it was to pretend not to know you. But me seeking you out for employment was no coincidence. I knew you were brilliant, I grew up reading your papers, but to meet you in person, to have the privilege of working with you, and Grandmother, it is something I’ll treasure always.”

“What do you want?”

“To warn you against what you’re thinking. They’ll turn against you.”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

“No, Barry, I want to help you. Have you told them about your powers yet?”

“Yes.”

“And how did they take it?”

“Cisco vibed us fighting in the future. And then he made me tell everyone. This was my thing to tell, and he said we shouldn’t have secrets.”

“He broke your trust.”

“He’s my best friend. I don’t want to fight him. I won’t fight him.”

“The future can be changed. The Time Master Uncle Wally and Uncle Jason are traipsing around with is so fond of the saying ‘time wants to happen’, but time can also be rewritten. Think of it as a river. Throwing one pebble in, taking one pebble out, that doesn’t change the flow, it just creates a few ripples. But if you do that enough times, you can make an impact. What Frost did was build a dam then collapse it and let it all rush through at once. Perhaps you do fight Cisco. But perhaps one of you is being controlled by someone. Perhaps he embarks on a foolhardy quest and you go to stop him. Or perhaps you can change the future so it doesn’t happen. That’s not the only thing troubling you, is it?”

“I saw the monster that hurt Caitlin. No one else could.”

“Perhaps they were travelling too fast for anyone else to perceive. If we vibrate fast enough, we can render ourselves invisible, but a speedster can detect movement far more effectively than anyone else. How is Jefferson Jackson?”

“Still in his cocoon,” Barry said. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“No one will find us, don’t worry. They’re all too concerned for Cisco and Jax. I simply wanted to make sure you didn’t do anything you regret.”

“What’s happening to Jax?”

“You already know what happened to the others when they encountered Alchemy.”

“Caitlin said he had cold powers in Freezepoint.”

“Yes, I know, she kept me in a cage while she swanned about in her perfect life. He had them in my timeline too.”

“You said Iris is alive.”

“It’s difficult to explain. But I will next time we meet, I swear.”

Eobard vanished.

“Barry?” Lily asked. “Who were you talking to?”

“No one.” Barry turned around. “I’m just trying to work out what to do.”

* * *

Eobard was cooking in Barry’s kitchen. Barry really wished it didn’t smell so good.

“For a moment then, I thought you were going to keep a piece of the Philosopher’s Stone, Grandfather,” Eobard said. “Barry, my apologies. Won’t you sit?”

“It might be poisoned,” Barry said.

“Again, I can’t do anything to you without erasing my own existence, even if it wasn’t notoriously difficult to poison a speedster. It’s an old family recipe. From your side, I believe. You still look half-starved.”

“I can’t afford to just keep eating,” Barry said. “If Cisco’s metacuffs held their charge for longer, I wouldn’t have to worry. You told me you’d tell me where Iris is.”

“In the Speed Force,” Eobard said. “I must say, I was surprised when Quick managed to open the breach. The Quicks are connected to the Speed Force, of course, but their abilities came from an equation, not lightning. Where do you think Zoom found Velocity?”

“How do we get her out the Speed Force?”

“Considering my offer?”

“Caitlin and Cisco we, I’m still not going to help you. You have an ulterior motive.”

“Of course I do. If Iris stays trapped, you’ll never have children, and I’ll cease to exist. But Frost has taken so much from our family, Barry, don’t you think we deserve to win for once?”

“Cisco forgave her. Dante was alive before Freezepoint, but Cisco forgave her. Iris made her own choice.”

“You need more time, I understand.”

* * *

Martin and Clarissa had been thankful Barry had saved their foster daughter, Jesse and Jax were both improving control over their ice powers, and Barry had slipped out unnoticed as early as he could.

He unlocked his door to smell food again. Eobard was already setting the table.

“I thought you were waiting,” Barry said.

“I am,” Eobard said. “I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I saw Jesse Freeze fighting Grodd. I wanted to be sure the reminders of Earth-2-”

“I went,” Barry snorted. He sat down. “I went to Earth-2 with Caitlin, Cisco, and Julian, and got kidnapped again.” He laughed again, tears pricking at his eyes. “I had to use my powers again. They needed me. Grodd used to like me.”

“You know, most people in your position would consider therapy.”

“I can’t talk to a therapist. I can’t tell people I work with Frost.”

“Have you spoken with anyone?”

“Cisco was grieving Dante. Wally can’t stand to be in this city anymore. Joe tried, but he was too worried about Wally dropping off the face of the planet. I can’t talk to my mother about this. Caitlin was grieving her mother. I thought she was.”

“You can talk to me.”

Barry scoffed.

“You need to talk to someone, and I’m willing to listen. I care about you, Barry. Because you’re family, and because I know you. They don’t see how lucky they are to call you a friend. Caitlin didn’t even look for you in her timeline until it benefitted her. But I care about you.”

“You’re supposed to be the villain.”

“And yet I’m the one sitting here wanting to support you because you’re sacrificing your own mental health to keep her secret identity. He hurt you so badly.”

“I’m still in love with Iris,” Barry said. Tears ran down his cheeks. “I shouldn’t have tried to move-”

“You didn’t know she was alive, Grandfather.” Eobard rested his arm across Barry’s shoulders. “You’ve lost her twice now, she’d understand why your heart couldn’t take that heartbreak. This wasn’t a punishment.”

“Then why?”

“Because Hunter Zoloman was a cruel man who used you to get to Frost. They all pushed you together, thinking it would help. None of them noticed what kind of man he was.”

“I didn’t either.”

“Because he wanted to draw you in. You offered yourself to him to save her, and she didn’t even look for you.”

“We were in his cave. Earth-2 Barry was there too, at first, till Hunter let me go and we tried to escape. He didn’t unlock the chain again after that. He killed Earth-2 Barry right in front of me.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“He made sure it was tight,” Barry said. He rubbed the scar on his wrist. “He said he didn’t want me trying anything. I was just trapped on an old hospital bed in his cave for two weeks.”

“He didn’t...”

“No,” Barry said. “He kissed me once, but he said he’d wait for me to ask after that. He said I’d come around to his side eventually. Said I was just like him. When I asked to go home he decided to try and conquer the multiverse. He said that I could rule with him, if I wanted.”

“He’s gone,” Eobard said. “He’ll never hurt you again.”

“He died.”

“I know.”

“Caitlin caused it. We’re supposed to save people. We’re not supposed to hurt them, not even indirectly.”

“Even Zoom?”

“You can’t make an exception. If you make one exception, it makes it easier to make another, and another.”

“To just brand everyone bar yourself a villain,” Eobard said.

“So many people have died. Cisco almost died. When Caitlin was being hurt by this Inertia, Ronnie asked Cisco and I to get her, even though he knew I didn’t want to use these powers, and opening an interdimensional portal almost killed Cisco.”

“The two of them only truly care for each other.”

“I had to save everyone with these powers today too. I don’t want them, but they keep finding convenient uses for them.”

“Cisco betrayed your trust. Zoom betrayed you.”

“You betrayed me. I betrayed Grodd. He trusted me and we exploited that to send him to Earth-.”

“They used you again,” Eobard said. “They used you, and they hurt people.”

“I don’t want this,” Barry said. “I can’t make the pain stop.”

“I know, Grandfather,” Eobard said. “I know.”

* * *

Perhaps Barry should have been concerned by Eobard’s visits. He should tell someone. Cisco, Caitlin, Joe, anyone. But all Eobard had been doing was making sure he was eating and he had someone to talk to. And if they knew it was Barry who was Eobard’s ancestor, not Eddie...

“Can you tell me about them?” Barry asked. “My children, I mean. You said Iris and I were supposed to have twins.”

“There’s still a chance,” Eobard said.

“This isn’t- This isn’t because I’m considering your offer. I just want to know about them.”

“Do you? Knowing the future can change it. Isn’t that what Frost is trying to do?”

“But you have no problem telling me I died before I met them.”

“Because I want to change that. That’s why I came back. Frost was the reason you were dead, was the reason our family was hurt over and over, I thought removing her from the timeline would save you. I didn’t realise she had a time machine. She saved herself and left her father, doesn’t that tell you anything?”

“Caitlin’s my friend. You failed, why didn’t you go home?”

“I intended to try again. Somehow. Perhaps I’d been too reckless. Certainly the timeline had diverged, I’d done enough I wouldn’t quite return to the world I came from. But perhaps smaller changes, smaller ripples, would work, perhaps they could save you, save our family, and it would be easier if I were present rather than constant time travelling, attracting the attention of Time Wraiths.”

“But you set off the accelerator. You gave Caitlin her powers.”

“Yes. I needed an ancestor with a connection to the Speed Force so I could inherit it. Without that, there would be a paradox. The accelerator explosion was inevitable. The creation of Frost, inevitable, though when I discovered she was in Star City I had hope she wouldn’t return in time, and you remember I attempted to discourage her initially. And you were unaffected. For a moment I thought I’d succeeded. Not the ideal solution, but without your powers Frost would have no reason to hate you. And Grandmother had hers, so I would still inherit a connection to the Speed Force. Her disappearance was worrisome, and I searched, but I knew she would return to you. When she disappeared again I blamed myself. I saved you but time must have taken her in your place. And then Frost created her Freezepoint.”

“You said she kept you in a cage.”

“Yes, right up until she begged me to kill her father, to save her own memories and powers. And in the process of her damaging the timeline, you gained your powers, and I found a way to save Grandmother. It may return us to the point when she loses you. But I won’t stop trying to save you both.”

“Maybe Captain Hunter is right. Maybe time does want to happen. Maybe you can’t.”

“There must be a way. I don’t know it yet, but I will find it.”

“You killed Cisco.”

“A regret. He confronted me about the trap you created for me. And there was a tidal wave incoming. I acted rashly. I knew Frost couldn’t handle the tidal wave, I wasn’t ready to reveal myself yet, so I knew I had to change time, and Cisco was in the way. Again, I fully intended to save him. If the day had repeated and he’d discovered me again I would have found another way.”

“And you kidnapped Lily.”

“I needed someone who could build a time machine. She did invent them.”

“You told Caitlin to save her father. I don’t understand.”

“I couldn’t change my own actions. That would cause a paradox. But I knew my younger self seeing Frost change time would be enough to know that plan failed. I would have known I would need another way to save you. It would have been like a reset. I am glad in a way. She didn’t erase the time we spent together.”

“You were lying to me the whole time.”

“I was. And I apologise. But would you have believed me?”

“No.”

Eobard nodded and put his cutlery together. He’d already finished. Barry still had food left on his plate and he was beginning to feel full. That hadn’t happened for months.

“There are leftovers in the fridge for tomorrow,” Eobard said with a smile.

“You won’t be here?”

“Do you want me to be?”

“Yes. No. No. You’re the bad guy. I should tell Caitlin you’re back.”

“Why haven’t you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m sure you’ll know where to find me when you need me, Barry.”

* * *

Inertia was supposed to have been stopped. He was supposed to have gone. But he was going to kill Ronnie, and now everyone could see him.

Ever since they’d thrown the Stone in the Speed Force.

Everyone was focused on saving Ronnie. Cisco was enamoured by this collector from Earth-19. They handed Abra Kadabra over to face a trial he wouldn’t survive. Team Frost were supposed to be the heroes. They didn’t let people die, directly or indirectly, innocent or criminal.

Caitlin had let Dante die, a voice suspiciously like Eobard’s hissed in Barry’s mind. They’d let Iris die. If Caitlin hadn’t opened that wormhole to change time the Singularity would never have happened, and Iris and Uncle Jay wouldn’t have had to fly in and separate. Caitlin hadn’t even been there to stitch Barry up, Julian had had to do the surgery with Barry explaining, she worked in a morgue, she had a medical doctorate, Julian didn’t.

She’d gone after Kadabra. She’d been trying to stop more people getting hurt.

They’d let Kadabra go to try and barter for Inertia’s name, and Barry had got hurt.

And then he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe-

Lightning cackled across his skin and Barry felt it stitch his side back together. Julian was holding the lightning bolt necklace Cisco had made him to dampen his powers, the one that had Iris’ engagement ring on it. The engagement ring that had been left to him by his grandmother. They’d never gotten to get wedding rings.

“He didn’t want that!” Cisco shouted.

Cisco was right, he’d specifically told them not to do that. They couldn’t take him to a hospital because no one could discover he was a metahuman. Central City hated metahumans.

Eobard was right.

“Barry, don’t,” Cisco said. “Barry, look at me, please-”

Barry ran, lightning sparking in his wake.

* * *

He couldn’t stop pacing. His shoes were burning.

Barry just clutched his head.

“Barry,” Inertia said. Inertia had become visible the moment they’d thrown the Stone into the Speed Force. Inertia was the name Earth-2 Barry had used and for a moment Barry had been terrified it was him from the future despite what he’d said when they’d talked to him through Julian, but no. He’d been in the Speed Force.

“Eobard,” Barry said. “Why didn’t you bring her too?”

Eobard stepped out the armour and smirked.

“You did all this. Why?”

“Because we need to put the world right again, Grandfather.” He circled Barry. “She broke it.”

“You’re going to hurt Ronnie.”

“Grandmother is still in the Speed Force. The Philosopher’s Stone wasn’t enough for me to pull us both out. But they’ll know a way. They just need some motivation.”

“Why not just ask?”

“Because they’d never listen. She took Iris from you. She ruptured time and caused this. They ignored your wishes.”

“They sent a man to his death,” Barry said. “They only care about lives they know.”

“None of them noticed how Zoloman treated you. They left you in his clutches for weeks. None of them agreed to help you look for a way to stop your powers. You wouldn’t have them if she hadn’t played with forces she didn’t understand.”

“Dante would be alive. John and Lyla would have their daughter.”

“Imagine all the lives you don’t know about because she won’t tell you. She’d change the world for her father, or Ronnie, but they never even considered Iris could still be alive. They sent Uncle Wally into danger and Grandfather Joe hasn’t seen his son in months. All he knows is he’s half of Thunderstorm now, just like Iris was before she died. Think of how long it took you to tell them about your powers. Even then you knew you couldn’t trust them. The first thing Cisco did was tell everyone. You didn’t tell them about me, did you? And then there’s the secrets your mother and Uncle Jay have been keeping on your father’s death. What do you want more than anything else in the world, Barry?”

“Iris back.”

“I can help you, Grandfather. All we have to do is get rid of Frost once and for all. She’s destroyed our family enough.”

“Deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have some thoughts on this one:  
> \- In the original timeline Caitlin and Barry are kind of like Professor X and Magneto; definitely enemies but Barry main motivation is to protect metahumans rather than rob banks like Caitlin's other villains. If Caitlin knew who he was out the suit she'd probably be up for chess  
> \- Barry also attempted this is his civillian identity- a biochemist whose work involving working with metahumans to study what triggered the changes and how best to help people. He also ran an anonymous clinic for metahumans  
> \- Which is how Caitlin did track him down right before the Crisis to ask for help. Barry said yes and then died. And while it was Barry's decision it wouldn't be hard for Dawn and Don to put together "Frost asked Dad for help -> Dad died" which wouldn't be a great start. But even with that excuse Eobard's probably more aware of what actually happened (time travel) but he's manipulating Barry so can anything he said really be trusted  
> \- Cisco manages to talk Barry out of working with Eobard in the end, but Barry still leaves. Caitlin probably doesn't go into the Speed Force because she's not a speedster.  
> \- But Iris actually is alive, that was one thing Eobard was telling the truth about, and getting her out the Speed Force can release dark matter and kick off s4  
> \- Jay & Nora were working on expeiments with heavy water when there was a thunderstorm. Small Barry had snuck down to the lab too because he wanted to help and Henry got him out but didn't make it himself. Jay's still working on the project- it's what he brought to S.T.A.R. Labs the night of the accelerator  
> \- Because Caitlin's powers work on heat absorbtion cold still works as a weakness, so Snart still ends up running around with a Cold Gun stolen from S.T.A.R. Labs. Probably still Leonard. Maybe Lisa. Lisa as Captain Cold and Leonard as Golden Glider who showed up because his baby sister and best friend decided to pick a fight with a superhero could also be fun  
> \- Eddie's Caitlin's friend at C.C.P.D. (filling in for half of Joe; Martin is her foster father), she makes her own decision not to tell best friend & love interest (& reporter like his father) Ronnie, or Lily at least. Jax comes later- he grew up next door & is one of the family along with his ma Beverly but has been gone a wee while for college. He comes back to the chaos of Zoom, not his best timing  
> \- There's no Earth-X but Earth-2 has some evil doppelgangers so Caitlin and Ronnie's wedding doesn't go off without a hitch. Possibly Jay dies (rather than Martin, he's fine) and Wally leaves the Legends to stay with Iris (who he can merge with still)  
> \- Barry probably does know Amunet Black before he goes back to Team Flash but probably as enemies rather than doing any work for her  
> \- Barry & Caitlin being friends might or might not change the outcome of Crisis, but it does change how his family see it, it does change the more cut & dry mentality original timeline Barry & Caitlin probably had, so in a way maybe Eobard does save Barry. But Eobard's still the bad guy, that wasn't his only goal, and now he's being erased from time.  
> \- Barry definitely gets some therapy. They all do. Doctor Finkel's suddenly got a rather full diary Wednesdays


End file.
